Dillenia pentagyna

Dillenia pentagyna, the dog teak or Nepali elephant apple, is a small tree with tortuous twigs. It is a member of the family Dilleniaceae, and is found from Sulawesi to South-Central China to India and Sri Lanka.

Description

A tree. It grows 6-17 m tall. The twigs are twisted. The bark is grey and smooth. The leaves are large and 35-53 cm long by 12-30 cm wide. They fall off during the year. The leaves narrow to the base and have teeth along the edge. The flowers appear before the leaves. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are round. The fruit is succulent.

Edible Uses

Ripe fruits are eaten with salt and chili, made into jam, or pickled; flower buds and young fruits are eaten raw or pickled and can be stored for 20 days; flowers are fried.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are edible but not greatly appreciated. They are eaten with salt and chili. They are used for jam. They can be pickled. The flower buds and young fruit are eaten raw or pickled. They can be stored for 20 days. The flowers are fried.

Medicinal Uses

The tree is used as a source of fruit, traditional medicine, timber and charcoal. Amongst the Tetun speaking practitioners of the ai tahan traditional medicine, in Belu Regency, Timor Barat, Indonesia, the bark is used to treat headaches and migraines. In Cambodia, the fruit is eaten, but is not generally appreciated, it also provides a component for a remedy against cough. The timber is used to make humidity resistant boards and beams. Small knick-knacks are made from the wood, which makes excellent charcoal as well. The Bunong people of Mondulkiri Province, northeastern Cambodia, drink a decoction of the bark and wood of both this tree and Oroxylum indicum to treat cold and fever. Amongst Kuy- and Khmer-speaking people living in the same villages in Stung Treng and Preah Vihear provinces of north-central Cambodia, the tree is used as source of medicine, fuel and food. In various areas of India, parts of the plant are used in ethnomedicine. The Koch-Rajbanshi people of western Assam use the seed and bark against cancer. In the Konkan region of Maharashtra, village people use a paste of water and bark to treat wounds. In Deogarh district, Tribal people use a decoction of the fruit and Zingiber montanum for "blood dysentery". To treat diabetes, ripe fruit is taken regularly. The unripe fruit is consumed as a vegetable.

Distribution

A tropical plant. In Nepal it grows up to 1200 m altitude. It grows in open places in the foothills. It grows in drier areas. In southern China it grows in rainforests below 400 m above sea level. In Sikkim it grows between 150-1,500 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Andamans, Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Philippines, SE Asia, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. They can also be grown by cuttings.

Other Uses

The old leaves contain an abundance of silica and are used as a sand paper. The bark contains about 6% tannins. A fibre obtained from the inner bark is used for cordage. The leaves are used as a mulch. The wood is used for planking, house posts and furniture. The wood, though of rather good quality, is rarely used because of its crookedness. A rather good quality charcoal is made from the wood.

Production

In India fruit are produced March to May.

Notes

There are about 60 Dillenia species.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Agachi, Agaie, Aggai, Aggai kallai, Akshi, Banchalta, Chalta, Cherimpi, Chinnakalinga, Chirimpi, Chota-karmal, Dieng-soh-bar, Dog teak tree, Graw-grawp, Hargaza, Kadu-kanigala, Kallai, Kalot, Kanigala, Karaola, Karkotta, Karmal, Kaulong, Khwaw, Kodapunna, Kurkut, Larong, Lve, Mai-mak-san, Mai-masan, Mekur kendi, Mingmechet, Naytekku, Niupang, Okshi, Panchphal, Pohon janti, Pohon sempur karmal, Punna, Rai, Ran-kel, Ravundana, Reavadi, Rovey, Sahad, Sahn-chang, Shukni-kung, Tanatri, Tantari, Tatar, Tatri, Tentri, Thing-se-lei, Zin byun

References (51)

• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 173
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 209
• Baishya, S. Kr., et al, 2013, Survey of Wild Edible Fruits of Dhubri District, Assam, India. Plant Archives Vol 13 (1): 155-158
• BARC, 2016, State of Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council.
• Baro, D., Baruah, S. and Borthukar, S. K. 2015, Documentation on wild vegetables of Baksa district, BTAD (Assam). Scholars Research Library. Archives of Applied Science Research, 2015, 7 (9):19-27

More from Dilleniaceae

Hibbertia coriacea

Pinzona coriacea

Tetracera alnifolia

Tetracera portobellensis

Tetracera potatoria

Tetracera scandens

Climbing tetracera